Wayanad landslide leaves 2 dead, rescue on for trapped workers

New Delhi: Two workers were killed and at least 10 others are feared trapped after a landslide struck the under-construction Kozhikode-Wayanad twin-tunnel project in Kerala's Wayanad district on Tuesday, triggering a massive rescue operation amid incessant rain. The landslide hit the Meenakshi-Kalladi stretch near Meppadi after heavy rainfall caused a retaining wall and a large volume of earth to collapse onto the construction site. Several workers and vehicles were caught in the debris, with visuals from the site showing a workers' bus partially buried under mud. Officials said six workers were rescued and shifted to nearby hospitals, while search operations continued for those believed to be trapped beneath the debris. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Rescue Services and local police have been deployed despite difficult weather conditions. The continuing rainfall has hampered rescue efforts, with authorities warning of the possibility of fresh landslides. As a precaution, families living downstream of the Meenakshi bridge have been evacuated after the collapse destabilised the surrounding slopes. Near the site of the 2024 Wayanad tragedy The accident occurred about four kilometres from Chooralmala and Mundakkai, the villages devastated by the July 2024 Wayanad landslides that claimed nearly 300 lives and wiped out entire settlements. The latest tragedy has once again highlighted the risks of undertaking major infrastructure projects in one of the Western Ghats' most landslide-prone regions, particularly during the southwest monsoon. Tunnel project under scrutiny The Rs 2,134 crore Kozhikode-Wayanad twin-tunnel road is among Kerala's flagship infrastructure projects and is intended to provide an all-weather road link to Wayanad, which currently depends on four ghat roads for connectivity. The project, inaugurated last year, is being implemented by Konkan Railway Corporation. Dilip Buildcon is constructing the twin tunnels, while Royal Construct is building the approach roads and bridges. The 8.735-km four-lane corridor includes 8.11 km of twin tunnels with cross-passages every 300 metres. Before granting conditional environmental clearance, the Union Environment Ministry's expert appraisal committee had sought detailed studies on the area's geology, landslide vulnerability and drainage systems because of the region's ecologically sensitive terrain. Kerala ministers rushed to Wayanad after Chief Minister V D Satheesan directed officials to carry out rescue operations on a war footing and reviewed the situation with the district administration. Meanwhile, Wayanad district in-charge Minister T Siddique described the incident as a "man-made disaster", alleging that excavated soil had been dumped in an unscientific manner by the construction agency, which may have worsened the collapse during heavy rainfall. Rescue operations continued late into the day, with authorities fearing the death toll could rise as teams worked to locate those still trapped beneath the debris.